Automatic lock slider



Nov. 8, 1949 O. SCHEUERMANN AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER Filed May 1, 1945 FIGS FIG. 4

FIG. 3

IN VE NTOR. 0/70 Scheuarmclnrz ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 8, 1949 AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER Otto Scheuermann, Westfleld, N. 3., asllgnor to Conmar Products Corporation, Newark, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 1, 1945, Serial No. 591,349

This invention relates to an improved automatic lock slider for slide fasteners.

In automatic lock sliders of the type of the present invention, a spring operated locking member, which automatically locks the slider to the slide fastener stringers with which it is used, is operable by means of a pull device to disengage the locking member and thereby unlock the slider.

The ideal operating conditions for such a slider, besides its automatic locking function, are twofold: (1) When the slider is locked, a cross-pull exerted on the mating stringers should have no tendency to cause the locked fastener element to unseat or disengage the locking member and thereby move the slider in the fastener opening 8 Claims. (01. 24-205.14)

as described in the following specification taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical front elevational view with parts broken away and other partsshown in section, of one form of an automat k slider constructed according to the princ p of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view thereof taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing the slider in locked condition;

Fig. 3 is a view thereof taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and showing direction, and (2) the operation of the pull in I either the fastener opening or fastener closing direction should positively move the locking member to the fully unlocking condition.

The many mechanical designs of automatic lock sliders of this type heretofore devised, of which I am aware, are prone to fail to accomplish all of these operating conditions combinedly. Usually the automatic lock slider is so constructed that, while moving the pull in the fastener opening direction moves the locking member to its fully unlocked position, reversely moving the pull in the fastener closing direction does not, with the result that the locking member undesirably ratchets over the fastener elements as the slider is moved in the fastener closing direction. Also,

in the usual construction, the locking member is so fulcrumed or pivoted on the slider that under the influence of a cross-pull or a series of crosspulls exerted on the mating stringers (a condition met with in ordinary use), the locking element, particularly when somewhat worn away at its locking tooth, may be sprung or become unseated by the action thereon of a locked fastener element, with the result that the slider will creep along and thereby move in the fastener opening direction.

The prime object of my present invention centers about the provision of an automatic lock slider reconstructed and designed so that the aforesaid ideal operating conditions are achieved.

A further prime object of the invention resides in the provision of an automatic lock slider of the type referred to in which these operating conditions are obtained with a structure of exceedingly simple design.

To the accomplishment of these objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention relates to the automatic lock slider as sought to be defined in the appended claims and the manner of operating the same to the unlocking condition;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modification of .the structure; and

Fig. 5 is a view of the modified structure shown in Fig. 4 taken in cross-section in the planes of the broken line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings and having reference first to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, the automatic lock slider of the present invention comprises a slider body generally designated as 13 having the usual front wing I0 and rear wing l2 connected at the top by means of a neck or socalled diamond" H to form or define interioriy a Y-shaped slider channel for reception and movement of a pair of mating slide fastener stringers I6, a locking member generally designated as L, means such as a spring l8 active on the locking member L for moving the same to the locking condition as shown in Fig. 2, and a pull device 20 mounted on the front slider wing operative on the locking member L for moving the same to the unlocking position as shown in Fig. 3.

The slider body B, besides having the conventional shape described and besides having an orifice 22 in its front wing 10 for the locking tooth of the locking member L, is in the preferred embodiment of the present invention formed with a top lug 24 and a bottom lug 26 over which a cap piece 28* is placed or mounted, the latter in the form of a dished or hollow member made of sheet metal, which member may be aifixed to the lugs by any suitable means as by having pricking projections 30, 30 in the cap (see Fig. l) extend into receptive indentations in the lugs. The cap piece 28 is recessed in its opposite side walls at 32, 32 for the reception oi the trunnions 34, 34 of the pull device 20. The cap piece 28 forms a housing for the locking member L and also assists in the camming action of the pull device 20 to be described, the trunnions of the pull device being located between the locking member L and the cap piece 28. In the form of the invention exemplified the body B is a die cast unit.

To accomplish the main objects of the invention, the locking member L consists of a lever of the first class, thus being provided with the resistance arm a,- the power arm a and the intermediate fulcrum f. The resistance arm u, of the locking lever is provided with the lever llocking tooth 36 which extends through the aperture 22 in the front wing In (Fig. 2) and is in engagement at its fulcrum side with a wall part 38. of said front wing.

The power arm a of the locking lever is provided with oppositely directed cam faces 40 and 42 formed by a V-shaped crotch in this arm and the trunnions 34 of the pull device 20 are normally lodged in said crotch, the trunnions being operative on the opposite V orcam faces of the crotch for moving the locking lever about its fulcrum f to the unlocking position. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the trunnions of the pull device are guided and limited in the movement of the pull device by the walls of the recesses 32 in the cap piece 28.

This construction thus far described possesses the operating characteristics referred to above as the ideal operating conditions. Because of the use of a lever of the first class with the provision of a raised fulcrum f for the locking lever located next adjacent the locking tooth 36, the buttress angle, i. e., the angle formed by'a line between the fastener engaged locking point of the locking tooth and the fulcrum, and a line running vertic-ally from such engaged point, is substantial or large, this being indicated by the angle a drawn in Fig. 5 of the drawings; and the result is that a cross-pull or a series of cross-pulls exerted on the mating stringers l6 which becomes effective on the locked fastener element e (see Fig. 2) in the direction indicated by the arrow 44 in Fig. 2 to forcibly engage the locking tooth 36, has no tendency to move the locking element laterally to spring, unseat or disengage the same even after such locking tooth has been subjected to normal wear. This functioning is accentuated by the contacting engagement of the locking tooth 36 with the aperture wall 38 in the front wing of the slider. Also the lug 26 may be shaped to otherwise fit or nest within the fulcrum part of the lever L. The ultimate result of this construction is that while the locking lever may be easily moved to its unlocking condition by actuation of the pull (see Fig. 3), a cross-pull exerted on the stringers will, if anything, have the effect of more securely locking the slider-instead of having any tendency to unseat or spring the locking lever. Thus the first of the twofold operating conditions referred to is achieved. From an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will now be seen that the second described operating condition is also achieved, namely, the operation of the pull 20 in either the fastener opening direction (shown in full lines in Fig. 3) or the fastener clos'ng direction (shown in dash-dotted lines in said figure) positively moves the locking member L to the fully unlocking condition. When the pull 20 is moved in the opening direction, it engages the cam face 42 of the locking member, and when moved in the closing direction, it engages the cam face 40 of the locking member, and with substantially the same exerted force the locking member L as shown in Fig. 3 will be moved to the fully unlocking condition whereby ratcheting of the locking tooth is obviated when the slider moves in the closing direction. Thus, whichever will also be apparent. The locking member L is rigid simply formed member. This and the spring 18, which latter is received in the seat defined by the upper and lower lugs 24 and 26,

and the pull device 20, are all loosely applied to and mounted on the slider front wing l0 and are retained in their positions by the application of the cap piece 28. An exceedingly simple and readily assemblable device is thus produced.

The modification structure as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings uses a coil spring 46 instead of the fiat or leaf spring IB of Figs. 1 to 3 and the pull device 48 is provided with a crossbar 50 instead of the trunnions 34 of Figs. 1 to 3. The locking member L of this modification is reduced in width at 52 (see Fig. 4) and the mid part of this reduced portion 52 is struck out as at 54 to form a blade for holding the spring 46 in place, which spring is seated in a Well or recess 56 formed in the slider body B. The flanking blades 58 form the straight continuations of the'main body of the locking member. Otherwise the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is the same in structure and functioning as that shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

The manner of making and using the automatic lock slider of the present invention and the many advantages thereof from operational and manufacturing viewpoints will in the main be fully apparent from the above detailed description thereof. It will be apparent that changes may be made in the construction described without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An automatic lock slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider body having connected front and rear wings defining interiorly a slider channel for slide fastener stringers, a locking member consisting of a lever of the first class mounted on the slider front wing, said lever having a reslstance arm and a power arm, theresistance arm of the locking lever having a locking tooth extending through the front wing into said slider channel. a raised fulcrum for the locking lever on the slider front wing located adjacent the locking tooth, means acting on the locking lever for moving the lever about said fulcrum to locking position, and a pull located in front of the slider and mounted and used on the front slider wing and operative on the power arm of the locking lever for moving the lever about said fulcrum to unlocking position when the pull is urged in either fastener closing or fastener opening direction.

2. An automatic lock slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider body having connected front and rear wings defining interiorly a slider chan-.

nel for slide fastener stringers, a locking member consisting of a lever of the first class mounted on the slider front wing, said lever having a resistance arm and a power arm, the resistance arm of the locking lever having a locking tooth extending through the front wing into said slider channel, atraised fulcrum for the locking lever on the slider front wing located adjacent the locking tooth, means acting on the power arm of the locking lever for moving the lever about said fulcrum to locking position, the said power arm being provided with oppositely directed cam faces, and a pull mounted and used on the front slider wing operative on the cam faces of the power arm of the locking lever when the pull is moved in slider opening and closing directions for positively moving the lever about said fulcrum to unlocking position. I

, 3. An automatic lock slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider body having connected front and rear wings defining interiorly a slider channel for slide fastener stringers, a locking member consisting of a lever of the first class mounted on the slider front wing, said lever having a resistance arm and a power arm, the resistance arm of the locking lever having a locking tooth extending through the front wing into said slider channel, a raised fulcrum for the locking lever on the slider front wing located adjacent the locking tooth, a cap secured to the slider front wins housing said locking lever, a spring acting on the locking lever for moving the lever about said fulcrum to locking position, and a pull located and used in front of the slider and mounted on the front slider wing between said cap and locking lever and operative on the power arm of the locking lever for moving the lever about said fulcrum to unlocking position when the pull is urged channel, a ing integral with the slider front wing forming a raised fulcrum for the locking lever and located adjacent the locking tooth, means acting on the power arm' of the locking lever for moving the lever about said fulcrum to locking position, and a pull located and used in front of the slider and mounted on the front slider wing the locking lever having a locking tooth extending through an aperture in the front wing into said slider channel, an integral lug on said slider front wing immediately adjacent said aperture between said aperture and the end of the slider where the wings are connected, said lug defining a raised fulcrum for the locking lever, a spring acting on the power arm of the locking lever for moving the same about said fulcrum to locking position, the power arm of the locking lever being formed with a V-shaped crotch, and a pull mounted on the front slider winghaving trunnions lodged in said crotch and operative on the opposite V faces thereof for moving the locking lever about said fulcrum to unlocking position.

7. In the automatic lock slider of claim 6, a cap piece mounted on the slider front wing and housing said locking lever, the trunnions of the pull being located between the lever and the cap piece.

8. An automatic lock slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider body having connected front and rearwings defining interioriy a slider channel for slide fastener stringers, a locking member consisting of a lever of the first class mounted on the slider front wing, said lever having a resistance arm and a power arm, the resistance arm of the locking lever having a locking tooth extending through the front wing into said slider channel, a raised fulcrum for the locking lever on the ,slider front wing located .adjacent the locking operative on the power arm of the locking lever I for moving the lever about said fulcrum to unlocking position when the pull is urged in either fastener closing or fastener opening direction.

5. An automatic lock slider for slide fasteners comprisinga slider body having connected front and rear wings defining interiorly a slider channel for slide fastener stringers, a locking member consisting of a lever of the first class mounted on the slider front wing, said lever having a resistance arm and a power arm, the resistance arm 'of the locking lever having a locking tooth extending through the front wing into said slider channel, a raised fulcrum for the locking lever on the slider front wing located adjacent the lock ing tooth, means acting on the locking lever for *moving the lever about said fulcrum to locking tooth, said fulcrum so fitting said lever as to afford rocking movement but not longitudinal sliding movement, means acting on the locking lever for moving the lever about said fulcrum to locking position, and a pull located in front of the slider and mounted and used on the front slider wing and operative on the power arm of the locking lever for moving the lever about said fulcrum to unlocking position.

0'1'10 SCHEUERMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France -.e-..--. Feb, 7, 1988 

